Speakers at the seminar “Millennium Development Goal and Global Partnership Cooperation

No Foreign Aid; Proper utilization of Internal Resources, Tax Revenue & Foreign Remittances and Local Level Planning and Implementation EmphasizedSushasoner Jonno Procharavizan (SUPRO) together with Daridro Birodhi Moncha organized a national seminar on ‘Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and Global Partnership Cooperation’ at National Pres Club on September 17, 2010 on the eve of celebrating MDG Convention on ‘One Decade of MDG’ organized by United Nation.

The main goal of the seminar was to influence the government, the UN and International agencies about releasing their declared promises, to pressurize them for unconditional development aid and cancellation of all debts to ensure just and fair trade opportunity and development partnership. The chief guest of seminar was renowned economist Dr. Quazi Kholiquzzan while the special guests were professor of economics and sociology Dr. Pias Karim, ActionAid Country Director Farah Kabir, director of UNMC Asia region and representative of UN Millenium Campaign Bangladesh Monisha Biswas participated in the seminar.Bangladesh is not likely achieving poverty eradication according to the target although increased country growth as the chief guest said. He urged that to ensure proper utilization of own resources, maximization of tax revenues and foreign remittances. He further said that no need to take foreign loan if we can utilize foreign remittances and obtain duty and quota-free access to the developed countries. Dr. Pias Karim said that unequal distribution of domestic recourses, corruption and lack of accountabilities are the major causes of poverty. He urged for more democratization of government, intensive cooperation with the development partners to ensure rights, peace and justice.To strengthen the role of civil society to raise voice to fulfill MDGs, the seminar was presided and moderated over by SUPRO chair Abdul Awal. The discussion papers presented by SUPRO deputy director Mohammad Sahidullah while Mohsin Ali-convener of Daridro Birodhi Moncha, Ahmed Swapon Mahmud-convener of Aid Accountability Group participated. The seminar also addressed by M A Quader-SUPRO General Secretary, Monju Rani Pramanik,Executive Board Mmber of SUPRO, Daisy Ahmed, Motiur Rahman, M A Salam and, Hosne Ara Hasi Member of National Council of SUPRO and district Secretary Abdul Halim, Syeda Habiba. At the ending of the seminar Uma Chowdhury, director of SUPRO delivered thanks giving speeches and invited all to be united and straight forward to achieve the target of MDG by 2015.

In achieving Millennium Development Goals and global partnership cooperation, the demands of SUPRO:

Rich countries must fulfill their commitment to provide 0.7% of their national income;

Aid conditionality should be ended; Aid must not be tied with economic liberalization and privatization

Duty Free and Quota Free Market Access

Ensure free Movement of Bangladeshi semi-skilled and skilled Labor

Ensure employment opportunity of of Bangladeshi semi-skilled and skilled Labor through out the world

Stop donor interferences in country development planning and implementation

Ensure full Debt cancellation for Bangladesh;

Abolition of all forms of trade distorting subsidies by rich countries

Stop World Bank’s interference for the management of Climate Change Fund

Please See more in the following link: http://www.amardeshonline.com/pages/details/2010/09/18/44154http://www.theindependentbd.com/business/others/9735-corruption-social-discrimination-trip-mdg-programmes.htmlhttp://www.thefinancialexpress-bd.com/innerpage.php?page_category_id=2&date=2010-09-18http://www.sangbad.com.bd/?view=details&pub_no=482&menu_id=14&news_type_id=1&type=allhttp://samakal.com.bd/details.php?news=37&view=archiev&y=2010&m=09&d=18&action=main&menu_type=crorpathro&option=single&news_id=92939&pub_no=458&type=http://www.ittefaq.com/issues/2010/09/18/news0488.htm

Ensure Fair Trade

Duty free and Quota free market access has to be ensured for all Bangladeshi exportable goods & items to the Developed Countries

SUPRO has organized a human chain today (1st December, 2009) at Press Club, Dhaka on the occasion of the 7th World Trade Organization (WTO) Ministerial Conference that is going on in Geneva, Switzerland since 30 November 2009 which will be continued up to 2nd December 2009. In order to raise demand from the grass roots civil society actors, SUPRO has demonstrated a human chain program to make the global trade and business fair and also to ensure duty free and quota free market access of all Bangladeshi exportable goods & items to the developed countries.

SUPRO has mobilized civil society actors and its networking members to raise the grass roots voice and policy demands through this human chain program. In that human chain demonstration around 150 people stood together holding hand by hand at the Press Club, Dhaka for raising the policy demands with a view to flourishment of national economy of Bangladesh. Around 30-35 journalists and reporters from national daily newspapers, Representatives from Radio Today and BBC, Satellite Channel like as, ATN Bangla, Desh TV, Bangla Vision, Baishaki TV have also attended that program to disseminate the raised demands in the print and electronic media through out the country. Mr. Madahb Chandra Datta- National Council member of SUPRO, Manju Rani Pramanik- Executive Board member of SUPRO, Uma Chowdhury- Director of SUPRO and Mohammad Shahidullah- Coordinator of SUPRO have addressed in that human chain program focusing key demands of SUPRO. The speakers have stressed that in thename of liberalization of trade, the local industries should not be demolished. In this regard, fair trade policy is essential for Bangladesh.

Press Conference on Debt Cancellation

SUPRO demanded in a press Conference on the eve of UN – ESCAP workshop in Dhaka Bangladesh’s Foreign Debt must be cancelled to mitigate the Global Financial Crisis

SUPRO a civil society network of grassroots organizations organized a press conference on 26th July 2009 at Dhaka Reporter’s Unity on the eve of UN–ESCAP workshop (27-30 July) in Dhaka on ‘Strengthening the Responses to the Global Financial Crisis in Asia-Pacific: The Role of Monetary, Fiscal and External Debt Policies”. As this issue is critically important to address the root causes of poverty, improvement of livelihood of poor and marginalized people in considering remarkable threat of global financial crisis, SUPRO responded on the debt burden of the Bangladesh that is gradually squeezing the budgetary allocation to the basic services like health, education and other essential services. SUPRO prioritizes the debt burden of Bangladesh as a major constraint of achieving MDGs and extending essential services to the grassroots, poor, disadvantaged and marginalized people.